Tampa Bay Buccaneers are giving away tickets to the Carolina Panthers game this weekend.
Yes, you read that correctly. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are struggling in attendance this season so much that they are literally giving away tickets to the home game versus NFC South divisional rival, the Carolina Panthers.
Bad news currently for the home team but if it works, it could be a nice marketing strategy for teams that suffer getting people through the turnstiles on gameday. Not only could it potentially help the Buccaneers bottom line but given the current play of Carolina away from Bank of America Stadium, it could also serve as a home field advantage.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the home team suffered their worst attendance since November 2010 against the San Francisco 49ers last week – a game they won to end a four-game losing streak. The Panthers enter losing three consecutive of their own, looking to rebound and remain in the playoff conversation.
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The reported crowd of 40,682 was far below capacity (65,890) as Tampa Bay currently ranks No. 30 in league attendance. The Cincinnati Bengals (52,844) and Los Angeles Chargers (35,202), who currently play in a soccer stadium until their new field is complete, are the only two teams averaging less of a crowd when playing host.
Their plan – current season ticket holders are allowed to bring two guests each, for free. The tickets are from a limited pool of availability and it is unclear how the seats will be assigned. However, given the fact that on average approximately 10,000 empty seats are available, most fans will likely still be able to sit with who they decide to bring.
The Panthers desperately needs a win and any advantage will be critical in what is expected to be a close game. Surprisingly, Carolina was also their opponent in 2010, the previously mentioned low point in Buccaneers attendance.
Carolina at Tampa Bay will kickoff on Sunday, December 2 at 1:00pm EST.